Mark's Parmesan - 062610

[MarkShelton]

Contrary to my last parmesan post, I went against almost everything I said I would do for the next parmesan
I went with a smaller batch rather than a larger one, using my 6"mold. I used skimmed, raw milk for the make, which I was particularly pleased with, and used a more appropriate mix of cultures. Otherwise, the entire procedure was the same, thankfully without the need to stir 2 pots at once!
Here are the details:

• 5 gallons raw milk refrigerated 12 hours and skimmed the cream off the top, nearly 3 quarts
• ~1/10 tsp (1/16 + 1/32) each TA061 and LH100
• ~1/6 tsp (1/8 + 1/32) sharp lipase, about 1/3 the recommended dosage (I want to let the flavor of the milk shine through)
• 1/2 tablet vegetable rennet produced a floc time of 20min, 2.25X multiplier
• 22hr brine soak

I came out with an excellent curd knit and came quite close to the anticipated final size. After pressing, I returned it to the press without the hoop to get the slightly rounded sides that I enjoy so much with parmesan. It came out a nice little wheel. With the small size, I plan to go only 6 weeks before oiling. I don't have to worry about eating it too soon, because it is destined to be a gift to my friend that is getting married in about a year. All I have to do is take care of it. And make a bigger one for myself...

[Sailor Con Queso]

Nice work Mark. Your floc time is a little high though and the cheese will take longer to age.

FYI - Lower fat or skimmed milk will always make a harder cheese than full fat or whole milk. This is especially true with raw milk, which generally has a higher butterfat content anyway. That's why you use skimmed with a Parmesan. You could make Stilton's with that milk and not have to add any extra cream.  Yet another variable that you can control to determine the outcome of your cheeses.

I would not lower the dosage on the Lipase. It's important to understand that Lipase is not a flavoring ingredient, it's an enzyme. And like any enzyme it breaks down proteins during proteolysis and gives off peptides (among other things). So this process is really important to develop full "Parmesan" flavor and the right texture. I used a "mild" lipase on a raw milk Parm once and after a year was disappointed in the flavor intensity. Great cheese, but lacking in depth of flavor and complexity. The ones I've made with sharp Lipase have been fantastic.

On the other hand if you overdo the Lipase, proteolysis will progress too quickly and you will end up with a bitter taste from bad peptides - good hydrophilic vs. bitter hydrophobic peptides. In the extreme, this is called Lipase Rancidity. FYI - several studies have shown that bitter peptides are more prevalent when using a microbial rennet.

[BigCheese]

I cant remember the recipes I based my Parm off of, but I have been using a multiplier of 3. Is this wrong?
 Floc has been 15min twice, and 22 once.

[Sailor Con Queso]

Nitai - It's not wrong, just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. A multiplier of 3 will create a moister, softer cheese than a 2.5. That's why you can't just go by simple time from a recipe.

[BigCheese]

Oh man. I will be doing 2.5 from now on considering I do not get the psi I need for Parms yet. By the way, I tested my spring from my press as best I could, and it gives at least 140 pounds pressure. Probably more. Not as bad as I thought.
Thanks for the info. I will be more careful to check multipliers before future recipes. Why does the short set time make harder cheese... because you lose more fat in the cutting?

[linuxboy]

Why does the short set time make harder cheese... because you lose more fat in the cutting?

No, because the curd set is weaker, meaning caseins are not as bound to each other. You do lose more fat, but more importantly, the curds release water faster.

[wharris]

I use 2% milk (past/homogenized) and a 2.0x floc multiplier.

[DeejayDebi]

My last 3 parms calculate out to about a 2.2 floccation multiplier with raw milk